According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Bills have agreed in principle to acquire running back LeSean 'Shady' McCoy, and in return, give linebacker Kiko Alonso to the Philadelphia Eagles as compensation.

McCoy, 26, comes to the Bills with three years left on his current contract. He'll have a 2015 cap number of $11.95 million, and then subsequent cap hits of $8.85 million in 2016 and $7.85 million in 2017.

Since the offseason has taken shape, quarterback has been the topic of conversation on the mind of mostly everyone in Buffalo. However, coming in a close second for a position the Bills have admitted that they need to add to is one that has been neglected for years.

It seems the Buffalo Bills are finally going to address the tight end position with more than just a waiver wire pickup, or a fourth-round pick (Shawn Nelson, 2009). While there are some names available that many have grown accustomed to over the past couple of years, where might the Bills strike in free agency?

While not the flashiest add, one player that the Bills could have interest in is former Cincinnati tight end Jermaine Gresham:

His Background
- One of the top tight ends available in his draft class, Jermaine Gresham was selected in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft. The Bengals hoped with his 6-foot-5, 260-pound frame that Gresham could develop into one of the next big things at tight end. Unfortunately, that never came to fruition, but what they did get was an every down player that proved to be indispensable for the team throughout numerous trips into the playoffs. Over his five-year career, Gresham has caught an average of 56 passes for 544.4 yards and just a shade under five touchdowns per season. He never truly took the game over as a pass catcher, but Gresham turned himself into a fierce blocker and an outright weapon in the run game. At 26 years old, the tight end still has years of his prime left in the tank.

How He Fits Buffalo
- He isn't the home run addition at tight end some might be hoping for, but if the Bills are looking for an all-around tight end that adds to the passing game, they can do much worse than the consistent Gresham. His hard-nosed style and appetite for run blocking would be right up the alley of new offensive coordinator Greg Roman and head coach Rex Ryan, who are both looking to establish the run in 2015. The tight end is as tough as they come and doesn't back down to any assignment in front of him.

Joe B.'s Take
- The Bills would likely add more to the position, but Gresham could be a cost-effective option at tight end if they swing and miss on the upper-echelon of free agents like Julius Thomas, Jordan Cameron or Charles Clay. Buffalo absolutely should take a swing on one of the top three, simply because they can add an element to the passing attack that doesn't currently exist on their roster. Gresham wouldn't be a big step up in pass-catching, but he is more of an all-around player than Scott Chandler. He would be a suitable Plan B if all else fails.

The Buffalo Bills have one of the most unenviable tasks of the offseason. They must find suitable competition to be the starting quarterback for them in 2015, without a first-round draft pick, in one of the thinnest quarterback classes over the past few years, and with a free agent class that doesn't offer a particularly inspiring option.

Even though all of that is true, the Bills must sign a player to line up under center and serve as direct competition for former first-round pick EJ Manuel.

Who might be some options to fill? Let's take a look at unrestricted free agent Jake Locker:

His Background
- Once upon a time, Jake Locker was all the rage around college football and amongst draftniks. Following a successful junior season, Locker was pegged as the favorite to be the top overall selection in the 2011 NFL Draft. As the season carried on, his game at Washington was increasingly picked apart and the previous coat of shine from the preseason had been dulled. In the end, Locker ended up being the eighth overall selection in the draft, and the Tennessee Titans' future at quarterback. He couldn't get on the field much in his rookie season, but the shackles were removed in 2012. He started 11 games, with a shoulder injury that kept him out for five games sandwiched in the middle of the season. He came back in 2013 and showed some signs of progress, before succumbing to a hip and knee injury that kept him out for two games. Upon his return, just three weeks later Locker suffered a foot injury that ended his season. In 2014 with a new head coach in Ken Whisenhunt, Locker got the go-ahed to start the season as the top quarterback. He started four of the team's first five games, and then a hand injury forced him to miss the next six games. He made it back to start for an injured Zach Mettenberger in Week 15, but left the game early with a shoulder injury and was placed on Injured Reserve. Over his career, Locker has completed 57.5-percent of his passes for 4,967 yards, 27 touchdowns and 22 interceptions. He also has 644 career rushing yards and five touchdowns.

How He Fits Buffalo
- If you look at Locker as just a quarterback rather than one with the proclivity for injuries, his skill-set fits Greg Roman's offense, arguably better than any of the other options. In his time in San Francisco, Roman utilized read-option whether it was with Alex Smith or with Colin Kaepernick, and Jake Locker could be used in the same mold. While his accuracy is less than stellar, he possesses the ability to throw a pretty ball with his incredibly strong arm. Locker's pocket presence and getting out of the pocket properly when pressure is felt is an asset, which could be a characteristic the Bills are looking for after a year of poor offensive line play in 2014.

Joe B.'s Take
- Of the remaining options in free agency, Locker is the only player a front office member should be 'pounding the table' for. Still only 26, the former first-round pick only has 23 starts to his name, and he actually showed signs of improvement in the starts over 2013 and 2014. There are clear examples of games that Locker, quite frankly, just didn't have it (see: Cincinnati in 2014). However, if the Bills are looking for the lesser of the evils, and for the quarterback that could be the biggest hit of those available, it's hard to look anywhere other than with Locker. The injuries are of course an issue, and should be considered for contractual purposes. Also, be prepared, he is not a perfect player, and likely will never be anything but average. However, with where the Bills are in terms of the rest of their roster, average will suffice in a bid for the playoffs.

The Jairus Byrd drama from two years ago will not be duplicated at One Bills Drive. The National Football League deadline for teams to use the franchise and transition tags on impending unrestricted free agents has passed, and the Buffalo Bills declined to use either option.

Bills GM Doug Whaley confirmed the decision with a very brief statement:

"We have chosen not to use the franchise or transition tags this year."

Of the players set to hit the open market on March 10, the only name that might have garnered some consideration for the franchise tag was defensive end Jerry Hughes. Hughes, 26, is coming off back-to-back seasons that he amassed 10 sacks and is the highest-ticket unrestricted free agent from the Bills roster in 2014.

If the Bills would have applied the franchise tag to Hughes, they would have owed him a fully guaranteed $14.813 million for 2015 if the two sides could not strike a longterm agreement. Buffalo originally acquired the defensive end in a one-for-one trade (for Kelvin Sheppard) with the Indianapolis Colts in the 2013 offseason.

In addition to Hughes, the other notable free agents coming from the Bills roster are running back C.J. Spiller and safety Da'Norris Searcy. Teams can begin to contact the representation of unrestricted free agents starting on March 7, leading to the beginning of the free agency on March 10 at 4 pm when players can start to officially sign with other teams.

The Josh McCown derby is officially over, and the Buffalo Bills are without the veteran quarterback that they so coveted. The Cleveland Browns announced on Friday night that they had agreed to a free agent contract with McCown, spurning the Bills' offer.

The Bills started the courtship process of the 12-year veteran quarterback last week ahead of the 2015 NFL Combine in Indianapolis. After his two-day visit in Buffalo, he met with both the Chicago Bears and New York Jets at the Combine, and then traveled to Cleveland this week to meet with the Browns.

According to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the 35-year old McCown signed a three-year contract with the Browns to compete with Johnny Manziel for the starting quarterback job. He was released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers earlier in the month after accruing a 1-10 record in 2014. In his career, McCown thrown for 61 touchdowns to 59 interceptions.

The Bills still only have two quarterbacks on the roster: former first-round pick EJ Manuel and Jeff Tuel. The official start of the NFL Free Agency Period is set for March 10 at 4 pm.

A week after the Buffalo Bills initially brought the apple of their free agent quarterback eye in for a visit, it appears the two sides are entering the next phase of a potential partnership. According to one report, free agent quarterback Josh McCown and the Bills are getting a bit more serious.

Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News reported Thursday morning that the Bills and McCown have started to discuss the financial aspect of a potential contract, and if all goes well, a deal could be struck as soon as Friday. The free agent quarterback was released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers earlier in the month, and has since visited with the Bills, Chicago Bears, New York Jets and Cleveland Browns.

In one season with Tampa Bay, McCown went 1-10 as a starter and passed for 2,206 yards, 11 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He signed as a free agent with the Buccaneers after a successful season as Jay Cutler's backup in Chicago. When Cutler was injured, McCown threw for 1,829 yards and 13 touchdowns to just one interception in eight games of work.

As the NFL offseason starts to shift into its next gear, the rumors circulating around the 2015 NFL Draft are only just beginning.

Unlike most years, the Buffalo Bills do not have a first round pick and will have to wait patientily -- pending a trade up in the order -- until the evening of Friday, May 1 to make their first selection. Holding the 50th overall selection, how might the 49 picks before them pan out?

Here is the first of many looks at a mock draft. Of course, please remember that this mock draft, and all mock drafts, are for entertainment purposes only.

Round 1
1) - QB Jameis Winston, Florida State
- He is the best quarterback available in this draft. As long as the off-the-field stuff checks out, he should be the first player selected on April 30.

2) - DE Leonard Williams, USC
- Ken Whisenhunt has a certain type of quarterback that he likes, and Zach Mettenberger is that guy. Instead, Leonard Williams enters and tries to live up to his weighty expectations established throughout the year.

3) - DE/OLB Dante Fowler, Florida
- Speed, size and a local appeal make this a home run pick for Gus Bradley and David Caldwell.

4) - WR Kevin White, West Virginia
- The most impressive wide receiver from the NFL Combine has the tape to match. The Raiders need a big time target for Derek Carr.

5) **TRADE (from WSH) - QB Marcus Mariota, Oregon
- Jimmy Haslem does what Jimmy Haslem wants, and no GM in his own building will stop him.

6) - DE/OLB Randy Gregory, Nebraska
- After losing out on Mariota, the Jets settle in on Geno Smith in 2015 and try to revamp the defense as much as possible.

7) - DE/OLB Shane Ray, Missouri
- The Bears are switching to a 3-4 base defense, which means they need some personnel that suits it. Ray will help out from the outside linebacker spot when they are in traditional looks.

9) - DT Danny Shelton, Washington
- The Giants do need an offensive tackle but can't pass up the value of Shelton here, in hopes he can form a powerful tandem with Jonathan Hankins.

10) - OT La'El Collins, LSU
- The Rams have a perpetual problem on the offensive line, so they add yet another one to the mix.

11) - WR Amari Cooper, Alabama
- A bit of a luxury pick here, but the Vikings do need a top target for the ever-improving Teddy Bridgewater.

12) (from CLE) - S Landon Collins, Alabama

13) - DE/OLB Vic Beasley, Clemson

14) - OT/G Brandon Scherff, Iowa
- The Dolphins could go with a wide receiver, but they still have some glaring weaknesses on the interior of the offensive line. Scherff can start inside, immediately.

15) - WR DeVante Parker, Louisville

16) - CB Trae Waynes, Michigan State

17) - OT T.J. Clemmings, Pittsburgh
- There were some thoughts of taking a running back here, but drafting Clemmings can move D.J. Fluker inside as a mauling, power-run guard.

18) - WR Jaelen Strong, Arizona State
- The lack of talent at the wide receiver position in Kansas City must be addressed this offseason. They can't depend solely on tight end Travis Kelce and the aging Dwayne Bowe.

19) (from BUF via CLE) - OT Ereck Flowers, Miami (FL)

20) - CB Jalen Collins, LSU

21) - DT Malcom Brown, Texas

22) - OT Andrus Peat, Stanford

23) - DT Eddie Goldman, Florida State
- Regardless of who the Lions re-sign of their defensive tackle group, they are likely going to need another starter in there for 2015. Goldman fits that mold.

24) - DE/OLB Eli Harold, Virginia

25) - OT D.J. Humphries, Florida

26) - HB Melvin Gordon, Wisconsin
- The first running back of the draft goes, and he breaks the first-round running back curse. If Justin Forsett doesn't re-sign, the Ravens will need to look to youth for their running needs. Wide receiver was also a consideration here.

27) - DE Owamagbe Odighizuwa, UCLA

28) - C Cameron Erving, Florida State

29) - ILB Denzel Perryman, Miami (FL)

30) - DE/OLB Danielle Hunter, LSU
- A young player with explosive athleticism. He could rise even higher than this as a pass rusher.

31) - WR Dorial Green-Beckham, Missouri

32) - WR Devin Funchess, Michigan
- Devin Funchess could be Bill Belichick's newest toy. He could become the move tight end the Patriots have been searching for to pair with Rob Gronkowski, and he has some wide receiver versatility.

Round 2

33) - OT Cedric Ogbuehi, Texas A&M

34) - G A.J. Cann, South Carolina

35) - DE Mario Edwards, Florida State
- Edwards is a big body and he can move. If he ever hits his potential, the Raiders could have a young and feared pass-rushing group with him and Khalil Mack.

36) - OT Ty Sambrailo, Colorado State

37) - CB Byron Jones, Connecticut

38) - CB Marcus Peters, Washington

39) - NT Jordan Phillips, Oklahoma

40) - OLB Shaq Thompson, Washington
- The Giants will probably look at Thompson as a swiss army knife option that they can play at either safety, linebacker or in rushing the passer. Just because he didn't meet expectations at the NFL Combine, don't expect teams to jump ship on him and his versatility.

41) - CB Ronald Darby, Florida State

42) - HB Todd Gurley, Georgia

43) (from CLE) - DE Arik Armstead, Oregon

44) - HB Jay Ajayi, Boise State
- The Saints featured a power run game quite a bit last season with Mark Ingram. Now that he's a free agent, the Saints could look to the draft to address the position, and Ajayi can provide that power mentality they're looking for. Not only that, he can be a three-down player and not force Pierre Thomas or anyone else on to the field.

45) - G Laken Tomlinson, Duke

46) - TE Maxx Williams, Minnesota
- Vance McDonald has been a disappointment and Vernon Davis really struggled to be a big piece of the offense last year. They could start grooming his replacement in the athletic Maxx Williams.

47) - WR Devin Smith, Ohio State

48) - HB Ameer Abdullah, Nebraska

49) - ILB Bernardrick McKinney, Mississippi State

50) - HB Tevin Coleman, Indiana
- The two other names considered at this slot were Oregon offensive lineman Jake Fisher and Miami (FL) tight end Clive Walford, but neither could provide the potential impact that Tevin Coleman might be able to do in his first season in the league. Despite the running back position being a deep one, the Bills won't hesitate to select someone that fits their running style, and Coleman is exactly that. He's falling a bit at the moment due to an injury, but he has all the potential to be an every down running back for whatever team he plays for.

Round 3

81) - TE Nick O'Leary, Florida State
- To spare you from having to scroll through 30 more names this early in the draft process, we'll skip straight to the Bills pick at 81st overall. The Bills are said to be in the market to add multiple tight ends, and not many offer the kind of package that Greg Roman and Rex Ryan may want than Nick O'Leary. As a tight end, he is limited athletically which means he will never stack up with the Rob Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham's of the world. But what he does offer is an every down presence, one of the most consistent tight end targets in college football over the last three years and an incredible presence in the red zone. O'Leary is as smart at beating a defense as they come, and he shows up in clutch times. With a hard-nosed type of playing style, Rex Ryan will surely love what O'Leary brings to the table.

Since the offseason started and head coach Rex Ryan was hired, the Buffalo Bills have made it their mission to find a quarterback to compete with former first-round pick EJ Manuel for the starting job. Although one report indicates that the Bills may be in pursuit of one quarterback, sources to WGR Sports Radio 550 refute that notion.

A Yahoo! Sports report from Tuesday afternoon that the Bills were in pursuit of St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford via trade, but sources to WGR says that the notion is not real and the Bills are not currently attempting to acquire the quarterback.

Bradford is entering the final year of his contract with the Rams, and the team has publicly stated their allegiance to him as recent as last week at the NFL Combine. CBSSports.com reported last week that Bradford's agent had received permission to seek a trade.

Who's ready for some quarterbacks? Everyone's favorite day at the NFL Combine is here, with the offensive skill players taking center stage at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Follow all the action throughout the four days at the Combine right here with the live blog. You’ll find the latest tidbits of news, player interviews and results from Indianapolis.

4:02 - Things are winding down here in Indianapolis, which brings us to the end of yet another journey in Indianapolis. The media availability is finished, but the NFL Combine will continue for the next two days with more workouts on the field. Thanks to all for following along over the last four days.... more draft content coming up soon!

2:52 - The running backs are the next group up for workouts and the talented group saw a couple of standouts in the 40-yard dash. Perhaps the most impressive, Florida State runner Karlos Williams posted an unofficial time of 4.48. It's even more impressive when you see that he is 6-foot-1 and 230 pounds. Some of the other top names and how they ran:

1:45 - Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota put on a show in the throwing drills on the field at Lucas Oil Stadium. Both players showed an effortless arm strength and fantastic accuracy in throwing to wide receivers that they never have before. They confirmed what was already known: they are the top two quarterbacks in the 2015 NFL Draft, and it isn't even close. As for some others, Baylor's Bryce Petty had some flashes but that has never been his issue. Alabama's Blake Sims, Auburn's Nick Marshall and Oregon State's Sean Mannion left a lot to be desired.

12:34 - West Virginia wide receiver Kevin White just threw down the gauntlet at the NFL Combine. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound White posted unofficial 40-yard dash times of 4.35 and 4.36. To go along with all the buzz he was building even before the week in Indianapolis, White could wind up being a top five pick. Impressive.

11:48 - The second group of quarterbacks just finished up the 40-yard dash, and the winner of the day was Oregon's Marcus Mariota. He was expected to run very well, and the likely top-10 pick did not disappoint with a 4.52 40-yard dash. Alabama's Blake Sims impressed with a 4.58, while Florida State's Jameis Winston clocked in with a 4.97. Don't get too carried away, though. The 40-yard dash isn't really a huge predictor of success for the position. The throwing drills are next.

11:26 - The first group of quarterbacks are through their workouts, and it was a mostly lackluster showing for the group. Duke's Anthony Boone had a rough day with his accuracy, as did East Carolina's Shane Carden. The ball came off Brandon Bridge's arm nicely, but his footwork clearly has some ways to go which puts him purely on "project" status. The second group has both Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston. Stay tuned.

10:45 - Dorial Green-Beckham is one of the most interesting stories at the NFL Combine this year, and his results on the field have been extravagant. At 6-foot-5 and 237-pounds, teams have been following DGB to see just how well he would run on Saturday, and he has yet to disappoint. The Missouri wideout ran a 4.49 40-yard dash, and looked as smooth as one can in the gauntlet drill. He's got his demons off the field, which will impact his draft stock more than anything. But on the field, he's been a monster.

9:32 - With the Buffalo Bills being charter members of the 'Need a QB Club,' odds are they have a heightened interest to how the quarterbacks will perform in the on-field workouts. Some of the players from the first group were flying in the 40-yard dash. UCLA's Brett Hundley and Nevada's Cody Fajardo each hit the 4.63 mark which are the best of the day. Meanwhile the super-intriguing, late round option that is Brandon Bridge of South Alabama posted a time of 4.72. Marcus Mariota will be running with the second group.

The 2015 NFL Combine is halfway to completion, but that isn't before we enter the next phase of the annual event. After all the talk, finally, the on-field workouts will start up at Lucas Oil Stadium on Friday.

Follow all the action throughout the four days at the Combine right here with the live blog. You’ll find the latest tidbits of news, player interviews and results from Indianapolis.

3:25 - The Jameis Winston press conference just happened. Some of the bigger talking points from the interview:

- Winston brought up, several times, that his biggest goal is to earn the trust of everyone in the NFL. He wants to be a face of the franchise, and knows that's what he must do to be the person and player that he wants to be.
- The quarterback said nothing was wrong with his shoulder, and that he intends on throwing at the NFL Combine on Saturday during workouts.
- He stressed on numerous occasions that this was the first time he's had an offseason to focus solely on playing quarterback. To this point in his life, his spring and summer was always dominated by baseball.
- Recently a picture has made the rounds on the Internet of Winston throwing the ball without a shirt on, and some wondered if his weight ballooned in the offseason. The ever-confident Winston addressed the issue head on: "A lot of people thought I was fat. I look good and I know it!"

2:08 - The workouts of the tight ends are now done for the day, and to be fair, it was quite an underwhelming day. Of the top tight ends available, there weren't any standouts. In fact, it was a bit of a slow group with the players at the top of the list. Minnesota's Maxx Williams ran an 4.78, Florida State's Nick O'Leary clocked in with a 4.93 and Miami's Clive Walford had a 4.79. Even the gauntlet drill -- an exercise that tests a player's hands, athleticism, and location skills -- most that participated dropped at least one pass. The two standouts in that drill were O'Leary and Williams, possessing very natural hands and movement skills.

1:20 - The Jacksonville Jaguars are one of the foremost authorities on implementing analytics into their organization, and have even used it in player evaluation. Jaguars GM David Caldwell offered up a smart, well-thought out answer as to how they utilize analytics in the roster building process.

"I think it's important to say hey, it's a good tool. It's a great tool for us. You're not going to use everything... it doesn't translate for every situation, every player. But, for us, it's a good tool. It's a good system of checks and balances. And this whole industry, what we do personnel wise, coaching wise is we have scouts that look at players but a good checks and balances, let's have the position coaches look at players, let's have our GM look at players. Ok, what do the analytics show about this specific player? What are the probabilities of this player, at this size, making it in the NFL? And then there are going to be situations where you maybe ignore that, and you're going to go with what the coaches feel, what the scouts feel. And then there's going to be situations where you say 'Hey, we're going to look at Denard Robinson in the fifth round because his speed-size score shows that he could be a pretty good running back.' That would be a good example of it working. And maybe our coaches, our personnel may have said, 'you know what, I don't know if we have enough time to have this guy work out.' We're in the fifth round, the probability of fifth rounders making and starting in the NFL is not great, so, let's take a kid that's great that has dynamic speed and good size, and we feel like that we can get him bigger and be a running back. So it's a tool. It's not going to dictate decisions, but it's going to help us go to the right decision."

12:15 - An appropriate update from the NFL Combine during the lunch hour. This might be the best thing you see all day:

11:40 - All those Bills fans that were holding out hope in a trade for St. Louis quarterback Sam Bradford won't like this:

11:00 - A helpful reminder, since he did not come through the media room like the rest of the quarterbacks on Thursday, Florida State's Jameis Winston will be the main attraction in the media center on Friday. Reporters will likely bring up any and all of his transgressions off the field, which will make how he handles it a must-see interview.

10:43 - As the offensive linemen continue to go through their drills, the first standout of the workouts has identified himself. Oregon offensive lineman Jake Fisher displayed good footwork and athleticism through the work on the field. He also flew through the 10-yard split of the 40-yard dash, which is the most important for that position. Fisher posted a time of 1.78 after 10 yards, which was the best of any in the first group. He's an intriguing prospect that played tackle at Oregon, but some have projected him to guard. With feet like that, he'll probably get a shot at tackle out of the gate in his NFL career.

9:59 - The on-field workouts have started and former Bills head coach Doug Marrone is front and center. Enjoy!